N.K. Jemisin and Nnedi Okorafor won in their categories at the Hugo and Astounding Awards 2020 on Saturday, August 1, 2020.
The Hugo and Astounding Awards, organized by the World Science Fiction Society, are awarded for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. Named after the founder of science fiction magazine Amazing Stories Hugo Gernsback, they are handed out at the annual World Science Fiction Convention. Previous winners include Isaac Asimov, Larry Niven, Arthur C. Clarke, and J. K. Rowling.
The finalists for 2020 were announced on April 7 in the categories of Best Novel, Best Novella, Best Novelette, Best Short Story, Best Series, Best Related Work, Best Graphic Story or Comic, Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form, Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form, Best Editor, Short Form, Best Editor, Long Form, Best Professional Artist, Best Semiprozine, Best Fanzine, Best Fancast, Best Fan Writer, Best Fan Artist, Lodestar for Best Young Adult Book (Not a Hugo), and Astounding Award for Best New Writer (Not a Hugo).
The winners were announced in an online ceremony hosted by CoNZealand and emceed by George RR Martin in a performance that didn’t get great reviews from some observers. African/Black writers who won on the day were Nnedi Okorafor, who won in the Best Graphic Story or Comic category and N.K. Jemisin who won in the Best Novelette category. It wasn’t the first time these writers were winning. Jemisin previously won the Best Novel award for three consecutive years in 2016, 2017, and 2018 while Okorafor won in 2016 and made the finalists list in 2018 and 2019.
Below are the winners in bold in their categories;
Best Graphic Story or Comic
- WINNER: LaGuardia, Nnedi Okorafor, illustrated by Tana Ford, colours by James Devlin (Berger Books/Dark Horse).
- Die, Volume 1: Fantasy Heartbreaker, Kieron Gillen, illustrated by Stephanie Hans (Image).
- The Wicked + The Divine, Volume 9: Okay, Kieron Gillen, illustrated by Jamie McKelvie & Matt Wilson (Image Comics).
- Monstress, Volume 4: The Chosen, Marjorie Liu, illustrated by Sana Takeda (Image).
- Paper Girls, Volume 6, Brian K. Vaughan, illustrated by Cliff Chiang & Matt Wilson (Image) Mooncakes, Wendy Xu & Suzanne Walker (Oni Press; Lion Forge)
Best Novelette
- WINNER: Emergency Skin, N.K. Jemisin (Forward)
- For He Can Creep, Siobhan Carroll (Tor.com 7/10/19)
- Omphalos, Ted Chiang (Exhalation)
- Away with the Wolves, Sarah Gailey (Uncanny 9-10/19)
- The Blur in the Corner of Your Eye, Sarah Pinsker (Uncanny 7-8/19)
- The Archronology of Love, Caroline M. Yoachim (Lightspeed 4/19)
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